Landscape patterns of carbon fluxes in natural and disturbed ice-wedge-polygon tundra
The degradation of ice-rich permafrost ecosystems due to climate change and infrastructure development strongly impacts carbon exchange dynamics in tundra landscapes. This study investigates the effects of surficial geology and infrastructure disturbances from road dust and flooding on vegetation an...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15230430.2024.2391244 |
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| author | Anja Kade Donald A. Walker Martha K. Raynolds Amy L. Breen Olivia M. Hobgood |
| author_facet | Anja Kade Donald A. Walker Martha K. Raynolds Amy L. Breen Olivia M. Hobgood |
| author_sort | Anja Kade |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The degradation of ice-rich permafrost ecosystems due to climate change and infrastructure development strongly impacts carbon exchange dynamics in tundra landscapes. This study investigates the effects of surficial geology and infrastructure disturbances from road dust and flooding on vegetation and trace gas fluxes in polygonal ice-wedge tundra in arctic Alaska. We compared CO2 and CH4 fluxes from closed-chamber measurements at common landform elements (polygon centers, troughs, and rims) at a natural site and a disturbed site within the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field. Relationships among environmental parameters, plant species composition, and trace gas fluxes were assessed through nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Map extrapolations showed spatial variations in midsummer landscape-level ecosystem productivity and CH4 efflux at the various geologic landforms. Highest carbon uptake occurred in ice-rich drained thaw lake basins with aquatic, graminoid-dominated polygon troughs. In contrast, wet, featureless areas associated with more recently drained, ice-poor thaw lake basins showed a net carbon loss even during summer. The damming effect of road infrastructure led to deeply flooded, minimally vegetated troughs with low ecosystem respiration and high CH4 fluxes close to the road. This work highlights the importance of the complex interactions among surficial geology, landform elements, vegetation type, and disturbance factors in understanding carbon exchange dynamics in ice-rich permafrost environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2462dfec8b264d2ba6d224c6c8ae1073 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1523-0430 1938-4246 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-2462dfec8b264d2ba6d224c6c8ae10732025-01-13T14:40:40ZengTaylor & Francis GroupArctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research1523-04301938-42462024-12-0156110.1080/15230430.2024.2391244Landscape patterns of carbon fluxes in natural and disturbed ice-wedge-polygon tundraAnja Kade0Donald A. Walker1Martha K. Raynolds2Amy L. Breen3Olivia M. Hobgood4Biology and Wildlife Department, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USAInstitute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USAInstitute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USAInternational Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USAInstitute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USAThe degradation of ice-rich permafrost ecosystems due to climate change and infrastructure development strongly impacts carbon exchange dynamics in tundra landscapes. This study investigates the effects of surficial geology and infrastructure disturbances from road dust and flooding on vegetation and trace gas fluxes in polygonal ice-wedge tundra in arctic Alaska. We compared CO2 and CH4 fluxes from closed-chamber measurements at common landform elements (polygon centers, troughs, and rims) at a natural site and a disturbed site within the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field. Relationships among environmental parameters, plant species composition, and trace gas fluxes were assessed through nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Map extrapolations showed spatial variations in midsummer landscape-level ecosystem productivity and CH4 efflux at the various geologic landforms. Highest carbon uptake occurred in ice-rich drained thaw lake basins with aquatic, graminoid-dominated polygon troughs. In contrast, wet, featureless areas associated with more recently drained, ice-poor thaw lake basins showed a net carbon loss even during summer. The damming effect of road infrastructure led to deeply flooded, minimally vegetated troughs with low ecosystem respiration and high CH4 fluxes close to the road. This work highlights the importance of the complex interactions among surficial geology, landform elements, vegetation type, and disturbance factors in understanding carbon exchange dynamics in ice-rich permafrost environments.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15230430.2024.2391244Arctic vegetationcarbon fluxpolygonal tundrapermafrostclosed-chamber measurements |
| spellingShingle | Anja Kade Donald A. Walker Martha K. Raynolds Amy L. Breen Olivia M. Hobgood Landscape patterns of carbon fluxes in natural and disturbed ice-wedge-polygon tundra Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research Arctic vegetation carbon flux polygonal tundra permafrost closed-chamber measurements |
| title | Landscape patterns of carbon fluxes in natural and disturbed ice-wedge-polygon tundra |
| title_full | Landscape patterns of carbon fluxes in natural and disturbed ice-wedge-polygon tundra |
| title_fullStr | Landscape patterns of carbon fluxes in natural and disturbed ice-wedge-polygon tundra |
| title_full_unstemmed | Landscape patterns of carbon fluxes in natural and disturbed ice-wedge-polygon tundra |
| title_short | Landscape patterns of carbon fluxes in natural and disturbed ice-wedge-polygon tundra |
| title_sort | landscape patterns of carbon fluxes in natural and disturbed ice wedge polygon tundra |
| topic | Arctic vegetation carbon flux polygonal tundra permafrost closed-chamber measurements |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15230430.2024.2391244 |
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